September 11th, 2012by The Knoxville News Sentinel in Local - Breaking News

Cameron J. Potter

Cameron J. Potter didn't just steal more than $400,000 from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, he robbed the nonprofit's trust and sullied its reputation, its executive director said Monday.

"In a very real sense, he was a parasite," SACE Executive Director Dr. Stephen Smith told U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips at a sentencing hearing for Potter.

Phillips sentenced Potter, 40, to three years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his embezzlement from the nonprofit dedicated to advancing green energy while Potter served as chief financial officer for the organization from 2006 to 2009.